Here are the top things to do that suit the Copenhagen weather in May for a more meaningful travel experience.
Copenhagen, the capital city of Denmark, is one of the best places to visit in the entire country and one of the most acclaimed cities in the world. Known for its impressive landmarks and structures, the city will lead visitors to a deeper understanding of Denmark’s rich culture and history.
Among the leading attractions here are beautiful museums, stunning castles and palaces, and numerous churches dating back centuries ago.
For many tourists, the best time to visit Copenhagen is in May. Aside from the numerous attractions in the city, they can also experience various activities. The month also hosts some of the country’s most important holidays. Thus, expect a lot of fun and events every May.
Check out these interesting things to do in Copenhagen in May.
Do you need help planning your trips? Start here!
❗️Be insured before your trip and get a SafetyWing FREE insurance quote
📚 Read our post about why you should always have insurance
✈️ Find out how to find cheap flights using Skyscanner or find deals now
🛌🏻 Book your accommodation through Booking.com
🎭 Find awesome and hassle-free tours through GetYourGuide
🚘 Explore Europe on an epic road trip with Discover Cars
Copenhagen Weather in May
Explore the Tulips and Rapeseed Fields
It’s not only Netherlands that grows the famous tulips but also Denmark. It has vast farmlands dedicated to this colorful crop along with rapeseed.
During May, these crops come into full bloom as far as the eyes could see. This is because May sees the full effect of spring throughout the country. Thus, expect beautiful flowers wherever you go.
Stroll around Copenhagen, and visitors will find locals hanging around the parks decorated with beautiful tulips.
To make the most out of the experience, visitors should check out Denmark’s biggest tulip festival called Gavno Slot. For those planning to explore the countryside near Copenhagen, early May is the best time to visit.
Participate in the International Worker’s Day
Just like many other countries in the world, Denmark also commemorates the contribution of its labor workforce on the first day of May.
The celebration may not be as grand as those in neighboring Scandinavian countries like Finland and Sweden. But it remains an important day and a nationally-recognized holiday.
Denmark first celebrated Labor Day to mark the introduction of the 8-hour working duration in 1890. When visitors happen to stroll around Copenhagen during the day, they can chance on various political gatherings. They can also listen to union anthems.
Listen to the Howling Day
Denmark’s “Howling Day” is not really an event or a holiday to anticipate. But it’s a way of the government to test its howling sirens to keep the locals aware of what they have to do in case of emergencies.
It happens every first Wednesday of May, specifically, at 12:00 PM. It’s nothing tourists should fear because it’s just a test run.
The signal starts with a rapidly-rising sound, which then slows down gradually. The signal lasts 45 seconds and is sounded four times to ensure that everybody is aware.
Are you planning your travels? Here’re my top travel resources!
I’m a serial planner both in life and in travel – I have bucket lists, things to do, see, and everything. So, I always love when my life is sorted easily using tools and resources that would make my general planning a little smoother and easier. Therefore, in my many years of traveling the world, I’ve seen myself returning to these travel resources repeatedly. And here I am, sharing my tips to make your life easy and breezy so you can stress less, travel heaps, and focus on the fun part of travel!
- Booking.com – I book all my hotels through this website and don’t honestly use anything else. They always have the best prices, in my opinion.
- Airbnb – If I’m traveling long-term to one destination, I book my flats through Airbnb.
- Skyscanner – The best place to find cheap flights on flexible dates. I use this a lot to score cheap flights within Europe!
- SafetyWing – Always travel insured! Never leave your home country without one. It is worth the extra money, I promise you!
- GetYourGuide – Hands-down, the best place to find cool and unique tours if you don’t feel like winging it, and go straight to a local expert. I use this a lot in new destinations to get acquainted with the area!
- My Pretty Wild World Travel Diary (coming soon) – A book you can write down your travel plans, create itineraries, track down your budget, and dot down memories along the way! A handy book you can keep and read later to revisit memory lane.
- Pretty Wild World Travel Planning Printables (coming soon) – Are you a nut like me when it comes to planning? Yes? Good. My travel planning resource in one zip file is an easy-to-use printable planner that comes with tips that helps you plan your travels during the planning stage, a pre-flight checklist, an itinerary planner, and so on.
Celebrate Liberation Day
The 5th of May saw the liberation of Denmark from more than five years of Nazi Germanic rule in World War II. Thus, it is one of the main important holidays in Denmark’s history. During the Nazi regime, many Danes were persecuted and executed while the economy collapsed.
Therefore, it was a total relief when on the 4th of May, their liberation was announced by their King, who sought refuge in another country.
With the announcement, the Danes spontaneously lit candles and placed them on their windows. This practice remains up to this day and is a special highlight of the commemoration.
Enjoy the Copenhagen Salsa Festival
The Danes are known to be avid and passionate practitioners of the classic Salsa. It’s also something visitors can try to have a feel of what it’s like to be a local. That’s also one way for them to build stronger rapport and a more genuine connection with the Danish people.
From May 3-5, the locals stage the Copenhagen Salsa Festival, which features various dance performances, shows, parties, as well as workshops. For those who would like to explore other dances, they can also learn the Bachata, Mambo, Boogaloo, Cha Cha, and Kizomba.
Participate in the Copenhagen Architecture Festival
The Danes have been celebrating the Copenhagen Architecture Festival since 2014 to showcase the interconnection between architecture and humans.
It’s a way for them to raise awareness and understanding about the importance of architecture to humans and the many indirect roles they play.
Among the activities held during the festival are various lectures, walking tours, film viewings, and workshops.
Visitors can attend some events for free, but there are activities that entail advanced reservations with fees. It’s a must-try activity for those with architectural inclination or even artists and artisans.
Hold up! Have you thought about the importance of travel insurance?
Remember this: anything can happen. Travel is fun, but your health is more important; thus, I always, always, always recommend getting insured during the duration of your trip. I have benefitted from having one multiple times, and it has been covered for thousands of euros!
The latest one is not necessarily “health” related – it was during the peak of the unspeakable terrible C that consumed the world. I was living in Vietnam when I received an email from SafetyWing (my travel insurance) that if I want they’ll fly be back home to Finland as the world goes through a global emergency alert. I flew back fully covered, and dealing with SafetyWing was a breeze despite the roar of people in contact with them trying to get back home.
I can’t highly recommend them enough. Otherwise, I rarely get sick; hence I don’t always need to head to a hospital, but knowing that I have travel insurance makes me feel safe at the very least.
Read my post about why you should get travel insurance for more information. Otherwise, you can get a free quote from SafetyWing – they’re the best, in my opinion.
Join the Great Prayer Day
The Great Prayer Day does not technically relate to any specific Christian holiday, especially since Denmark has become more of a secular state nowadays. Instead, it is a culmination of various smaller holidays and has been practiced by the Danes since the 17th century.
That gives it an important position in the Danish holiday calendar. To signify the commemoration, the Danes feast on plain wheat buns with a little bit of butter.
Witness the Ambassador’s Reception at Fredensborg Castle
One of the special and formal events that take place a few times a year in Denmark is the reception of a new ambassador. During spring and autumn, the Queen moves to Fredensborg castle. Thus, it is also set as the period for the reception.
Several ambassadors are welcomed at once since the event is fairly expensive and luxurious. It’s important to look at the Queen’s calendar to ensure you visit the castle on the right day and witness the reception.
Expect to see several hussars and horses as well as the Royal Stables’ carriage and mounted regiment.
Check out the Copenhagen Marathon
Mid-May has been seeing the conduct of the Copenhagen Marathon for more than 30 years already. During the day, thousands of locals run across Frederiksberg and through the inner city.
Visitors can participate in this activity as long as they pay the entry fee, which ranges from 675 DKK to 725 DKK.
Participate in the Copenhagen Art Week
The Copenhagen Art Week aims to promote modern art in Denmark and is conducted from mid-to-late May. During the events, visitors can have the chance to explore exhibition platforms and interact with local artists.
The locals also set up various galleries throughout the city, and visitors can check them out for free. They organize different activities dedicated to raising awareness and appreciation of modern art.
Among these are workshops, lectures, and film screenings. The main address for modern art and festivals in central Copenhagen is Kunsthal Charlottenborg.
Now that we have a list of the common things to do that suit the Copenhagen weather in May, we hope to have convinced you to visit during the month.
Of course, there is more to these listed activities, and as long as you sustain your adventurous vigor, you can always discover and experience something new.
What are my favorite travel must-haves?
As a frequent traveler, I’ve learned a lot throughout my years of travel, and there are five items that I always carry with me regardless of where I go and how long the trip is. Here are my five travel must-haves!
- Warm packable jacket – I always carry a light jacket, even when heading to warm countries. There hasn’t been a time I never used it, especially in airports and planes.
- Transparent toiletry bag – I often bring a carry-on if I’m only traveling within Europe for a few days. Life is so much easier to go through security checks with a transparent toiletry bag.
- Kindle Paperwhite – I love a good read and always take my Kindle everywhere. It keeps me entertained during long flights and waiting times.
- Powerbank – I don’t know how I could travel without one! Having a power bank saved me a ton since I carry a lot of electronic devices with me.
- Travel Adapter – I never leave my luggage without a travel adapter! I carry one with me all the time. It is just one of that travel-must haves that doesn’t hurt to have in your bag at all times.